Winter Weather, Washington
- When
- December 5, 9:00 PM EST to December 6, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Washington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.604, -77.814 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather in Maryland, December 5 to 6, 1996
A vigorous upper-level disturbance combined with available moisture and marginally cold air to produce a swath of wet snow from the Maryland piedmont to the Potomac Highlands. Accumulations were highly dependent on elevation, especially in the foothills.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
A vigorous upper-level disturbance combined with available moisture and marginally cold air to produce a swath of wet snow from the Maryland piedmont to the Potomac Highlands. Only Allegany Co (MDZ002) received widespread accumulations of 4 inches or more; the remaining affected counties received average accumulations between 1 and 3 inches.Accumulations were highly dependent on elevation, especially in the foothills. In Frederick Co (MDZ004), lower terrain received 2 or 3 inches. However, along the western mountains, up to 9 inches may have fallen in Wolfsville. The same was likely true in neighboring Washington (MDZ003) Co. A similar effect occurred farther east, where 2 inches fell in western and northern Montgomery and Howard Cos (MDZ009>010), but plain rain fell in the southern and eastern portions. In general, the dividing line of accumulating snow was at 750 feet above sea level.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Weather, Frederick
- When
- December 5, 9:00 PM EST to December 6, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Frederick forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.472, -77.398 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Carroll
- When
- December 5, 9:00 PM EST to December 6, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Carroll forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.563, -77.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Montgomery
- When
- December 5, 9:00 PM EST to December 6, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Montgomery forecast zone
Winter Weather, Howard
- When
- December 5, 9:00 PM EST to December 6, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Howard forecast zone
What these are
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heavy Snow in Utah, December 5 to 6, 1996
- Heavy Rain in California, December 5, 1996
- Heavy Rain in California, December 5, 1996
- High Wind in Colorado, December 5, 1996
- High Wind in New Mexico, December 5 to 6, 1996
- Tornado in Oregon, December 5, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Virginia, December 5 to 6, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Virginia, December 5, 1996
- Winter Storm in Colorado, December 5 to 6, 1996
- Heavy Rain in New Jersey, December 5 to 6, 1996
- Winter Weather in North Carolina, December 5, 1996
- Heavy Rain in Pennsylvania, December 5 to 6, 1996
More
Every storm in Maryland in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, December 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5569885, 5569886, 5569887, 5569888, 5569889.